Shingles

Shingles - A Guide to Understanding Herpes Zoster

It is estimated that 1/3 of the population will have shingles during their lifetime. So what exactly is shingles?

Shingles is due to a virus that most people catch during their childhood. You may hear this first infection referred to as “chickenpox” (varicella zoster). Chickenpox is very contagious. Most people in the U.S. have come into contact with the virus but may not be able to remember the event.

Most people have chickenpox as a child, although some people may get it as adults. Once the virus is in your body, it lives there forever. Later in life, the virus can become active again. It is then called shingles (herpes zoster). The older you are, the more likely it is for the virus to become active again...